margin
B2Neutral to formal, common in business, finance, academic, and technical contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The edge or border of something, especially the blank space around a written or printed page; a permissible difference or amount by which something may vary.
In finance, the difference between cost and selling price; in politics, the amount by which a vote or result is won; in general, a spare amount or degree allowing for unforeseen circumstances.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The core concept revolves around the idea of a boundary, limit, or difference. It often implies a buffer zone, a space for error, or a measure of comparative advantage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Slight preference for 'profit margin' in business contexts in both.
Connotations
Similar connotations of safety, buffer, and edge.
Frequency
Equally frequent in all registers in both variants.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
by a margin of [number/percentage]a margin of [noun, e.g., safety, error]the margin between [A] and [B]on the margin(s) of [place/society]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “On the margins (of society)”
- “Margin for error”
- “By a hair's margin”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The company's net profit margin improved to 15% this quarter.
Academic
The researcher allowed for a small margin of error in the measurements.
Everyday
Please write your notes in the left-hand margin of the page.
Technical
The tectonic activity occurs along the continental margin.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- He made notes in the margin of his textbook.
- They won the election by a comfortable margin.
- The profit margin on the product was slim.
American English
- She set the page margins to one inch.
- The team lost by a narrow margin of two points.
- We need to improve our gross margin next year.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Write your name in the top margin.
- The picture has a white margin around it.
- The winner was decided by a very small margin.
- Always leave a margin for error when planning a journey.
- The company operates on low margins but high volume.
- People living on the margins of society need more support.
- The central bank adjusted the interest rate margin.
- The study's conclusions must be viewed with a wide margin of scepticism.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a MARGIN as the 'MARKed GIN' (a marked boundary or line) around the edge of a page or situation.
Conceptual Metaphor
SAFETY IS A PHYSICAL BUFFER/SPACE (e.g., 'margin of safety'), COMPETITION/DIFFERENCE IS DISTANCE (e.g., 'win by a wide margin').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating "на полях" as "on the fields" for "in the margins." "Margin" is not "маржа" in all contexts (Russian "маржа" is specifically a financial/banking term).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'margin' to mean 'average' or 'standard' (incorrect).
- Confusing 'margin' with 'markup' in finance (markup is on cost, margin is on selling price).
- Misspelling as 'margent'.
Practice
Quiz
In a financial context, what does 'narrowing margins' typically indicate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely in modern English. The verb 'to margin' (to provide with a margin or to annotate in a margin) is archaic. The financial term 'to margin' (to deposit collateral) is specialist.
'Edge' is more general and physical (the edge of a cliff). 'Margin' often implies a deliberately left space or a measured difference (the margin on a page, a margin of victory).
It is used to specify the size of a difference, especially in competitions or comparisons. E.g., 'She won the race by a margin of ten seconds.' or 'The proposal was rejected by a margin of three votes.'
It is an idiom meaning at the edge of a group, activity, or society, often implying being excluded or having little influence. E.g., 'These communities have existed on the margins for decades.'